County board expands

Two appointed to road panel.

Two appointed to road panel.

October 10, 2008|By CAROL DRAEGER Tribune Staff Writer

ST. JOSEPH -- In January, the Berrien County Road Commission board will attain what critics wanted: broader representation. Vick Kinzler, of Watervliet Township, and James Daniel, of Weesaw Township, who will serve in an at-large seat, will become the newest members on the old three-member road commission board. On Thursday the Berrien County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Kinzler to represent the northeast part of the county for a five-year term. Daniel was appointed to a three-year term, representing the entire county. Longtime road commission member Charles Collins also was reappointed to a six-year term representing the county's southeast section. Road commission members, by state law, serve staggered six-year terms. Commissioners' president Dick Bartz said the reason the terms vary for Kinzler and Daniel are to ensure that at least one of the five board members are up for reappointment each year. Current road commission board members Bob Burkholz and Robert Forker Jr. represent the northwest and southwest parts of the county, respectively. Board members are paid about $8,200 a year. Last year commissioners agreed to expand the board from three to five members and to ensure the entire county is represented by a road commission member. In other matters, commissioners accepted a $262,773 state grant that will add 43 laptop computers to police vehicles in the county. The funds will give 21 county police agencies the ability to buy software to submit crash data electronically to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center in Lansing. Berrien Springs/Oronoko Township Police Chief Milt Agay said the new computers and software will reduce the time an officer spends recording crash information from 30 minutes to about 10 minutes.Staff writer Carol Draeger: cdraeger@sbtinfo.com (574) 807-2941